J&K gets first Passport Seva Kendra

Jammu: To expedite the issuance of passports and ease the burden on the local passport office here, the Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday got its first Passport Seva Kendra in the winter capital.

"We have opened first Passport Seva Kendra in Jammu and Kashmir for providing better and faster services to the citizens of the state," Passport Officer Rajinder Gupta told reporters here today.

The operational launch of the PSK was done by Chief Passport Officer and Joint Secretary Muktesh Pardeshi.
"This is a good news for the people of Jammu, who aspire to get passports and want to avail miscellaneous passport services at a faster pace and better services," Gupta said.

"The Ministry of External Affairs has opened PSK in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services at the Regional Passport Office here, and the centre will have various amenities for citizens along with ambiance and quality of service delivery at par with international standards," he said.

As part of national implementation of Passport Seva Project under the National eGovernance Programme (NeGP), PSKs are being set up to provide services in a comfortable environment using world class infrastructure, he said.
PSK will provide services to the citizens of other districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Reasi and Udhampur, Gupta said.

Conceived by the MEA, the PSKs function under Passport SEva Project with Tata Consultancy Services as service provider responsible for setting up and operating 77 PSKs across the country, Gupta said.

Of these, two are being opened in state one each in Jammu and Srinagar, Gupta said adding the Kendra would be opened in Srinagar in May.